Today is
Monday June 08, 2026
TYLER – All non-emergency Smith County offices will be closed for business on Monday, September 2, for Labor Day. Offices will reopen for normal business hours on Tuesday, September 3. Smith County Commissioners Court will be held at its normal time, at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. Smith County hopes you all have a relaxing and safe Labor Day!
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TYLER – United States senator Ted Cruz was in Tyler on Tuesday as the featured speaker at a luncheon for the Tyler Area Builders Association. According to our news partner KETK, Cruz spoke to about 200 members for the TABA and their guests at Willow Brook Country Club in Tyler.Â
“We are very pleased and honored today to have senator Ted Cruz come and speak today.†Sam Mezayek, former president of the Tyler Building Association, said
This is the third time in as many weeks that Senator Cruz has been in East Texas speaking about his race for the United States Senate. He said that without East Texans’ support in the 2018 election, he likely wouldn’t be in office today. He continued to thank Texas republicans for the majority support throughout the years.
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UPDATE: Athens Public Safety said that as of 6:25 p.m. Tuesday, the gas leak has been contained and access to the previously evacuated businesses has been restored.
ATHENS – Multiple buildings and businesses have been evacuated due to a natural gas leak in Athens. According to our news partner KETK, Athens PD said, the natural gas leak is from a four-inch natural gas main on Ben Belt Drive. This has led to the evacuation of Gibson Pharmacy, a CEFCO convenience store and gas station and the Trinity Valley Community College administration building.
City officials say that Athens police and fire are on scene and are working with Atmos Energy to stop the leak. Drivers are urged to avoid the area until the leak has been fixed.
HENDERSON COUNTY – 
Former Payne Springs Chief of Police April Meadows was sentenced to 15 years in prison for money laundering and manufacturing/delivering drugs, according to our news partners at KETK. She was sentenced to two years for the money laundering charge and 15 years for the felony drug charge in a Henderson County court on Tuesday. Those sentences are set to run concurrently to one another and Meadows already has almost a year’s worth of jail credit. Meadows was arrested along with Jonathan Hutchison, a former police officer. Earlier this month, Hutchison was sentenced to 20 years in prison for manufacturing or delivering a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance. Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said at the time of their arrests that search warrants served at their homes revealed controlled substances inside.
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TYLER – Tyler Water Utilities (TWU) began replacing 8,000 water meters last week. This project was approved by the City Council in December 2023. The first phase will take one year to complete and will replace meters identified as having issues with accuracy and reliability. For the next three years, 1,650 meters will be replaced annually until all identified problem meters are switched to the new model. Water meters measure the amount of water delivered to a customer’s tap. The most recent meters in our system were installed in 2005. Over the last several years, 27 percent of the existing meters had problems accurately reading water usage, not registering consumption, and not communicating the information to the Water Business Office. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER (AP) — 
The father of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes pleaded guilty Tuesday to a drunken driving charge in Texas, according to court records. Smith County District Court records show that Patrick Mahomes Sr., 54, pleaded guilty in Tyler to the driving while intoxicated charge. The records do not provide details of the plea, but local media report a five-year suspended sentence was agreed upon. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Sept. 23. Read the rest of this entry »
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UPDATE: The Winnsboro Police Department said Caviness was found safe at 1:30 p.m. Monday.
WINNSBORO — East Texas officials are asking for help in locating a missing Winnsboro man. According to our news partner KETK, missing is 75-years-old Larry Caviness. He was last seen Sunday morning. Officials said he left his home on Ebenezer Street in his blue 1996 GMC 1500 with Texas license plate AG41525.
Larry Caviness is described as being 6’1 and 180 pounds. Winnsboro Police ask if anyone has information on the whereabouts of Larry Caviness, to call them at 903-342-3620.
TYLER – 
Starting on Friday, August 30th through Tuesday, September 3rd, the Tyler Police Department will be adding additional officers on the street utilizing STEP (Selective Traffic Enforcement Program). With increased traffic in the city of Tyler and at Lake Tyler for the Labor Day weekend, these officers will be specifically watching for impaired drivers. They hope everyone has an enjoyable Labor Day Holiday. Please be responsible and don’t drink and drive.
LONGVIEW – The Longview Economic Development Corporation voted to approve a performance contract for a Mint Innovation biomining facility on Thursday. According to our news partner KETK, the proposed facility, would be a $15 million capital investment that would create 28 jobs within three years, according to LEDCO.
“Since our founding in 2016, we’ve been looking at opportunities abroad and are excited to be looking at bringing our technology to Longview, Texas. We’re proud to have the support of LEDCO to help create a more sustainable future for the Longview community by reducing e-waste and reintroducing critical metals into the local economy,†Will Barker, CEO and co-founder of Mint Innovation.
Mint Innovation “mines†for metals like gold and copper by using chemicals to extract the precious metals from natural biomass and e-waste. The New Zealand-based company is currently trying to confirm the plant’s site at 2120 East Loop 281 in Longview. In June, several residents appeared at the proposed location to protest the plant’s opening
SMITH COUNTY – Smith County Precinct 5 Justice of the Peace Jon Johnson has announced his retirement after a 35-year criminal justice career. He was first elected as justice of the peace in November 2018, and was sworn in to office on January 1, 2019. Before becoming a justice of the peace, Johnson worked for 25 years for the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the U.S. District Court in Tyler until his federal retirement in 2014. During those years he served as a federal prison case manager, federal probation officer and chief federal probation officer.
Johnson has taught criminal justice courses for Tyler Junior College and Lindale Independent School District.
“Although I have held different job titles and responsibilities over the years, I have enjoyed nothing more than serving the community as justice of the peace,†Judge Johnson said in his retirement letter submitted Friday, August 23.
Johnson said he plans to retire September 30, 2024, and intends to spend more time with his wife and family.
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HENDERSON COUNTY — 
Our news partners at KETK report two men were arrested on Thursday after the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office conducted search warrants at Athens residences where they located a large stash of drugs and a stolen firearm. According to the sheriff’s office, at around 4:45 p.m. investigators conducted two narcotic search warrants and a manufacturing or delivery of a controlled substance arrest warrant at 419 Stoneleigh Street and 421 Stoneleigh Street in Athens. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Senator Ted Cruz is bringing his ‘Keep Texas, Texas’ tour to Tyler on Saturday August 24 from 9:00 a.m to 10:15 a.m. He will be appearing at the Republic Icehouse, 3807 University Blvd in Tyler. Senator Cruz will speak to voters about his record in the Senate of jobs, freedom, and security. Senator Cruz will discuss his vision for the future of our state and what needs to be done to Keep Texas, Texas.
You can find free tickets for this event by clicking here.